A few weeks back I was reassigned to cover Tuscaloosa City Hall. I’d first reported the goings-on of the mayor, council and city dealings about four years ago. Then I was moved to another beat. And then another.

Now, I’m back to (almost) where I started.

Since I was last here, there has been a big push for us news writers to branch beyond the printed word and into the wonders of the world wide web. My last beat was a bit too expansive to have a catch-all Web presence.

About a month ago, that all changed.

This blog was imagined as a place where some of the non-essential news stories could land. It actually grew out of a question regarding an overhaul of the city’s Water and Sewer Department. The answer wasn’t really newspaper worthy, but Executive Editor Doug Ray said it might make an interesting blog post.

“Do you have a blog?,” he said.

Well, I do now.

So, dear reader, I apologize up front if it gets a little boring or comes off at little amateurish at first. I mean, we all crawl, slip and stumble before we run, right? I just hope to keep more skin on my knees than off.

But please let me know what you think or want to read about. If you hear something and want more information, hit me here — I’ll do my best to get you an answer.

And know that whatever you read here comes with the same promise of fairness, objectivity and professionalism that I’ve been bringing to my “traditional” reporting for more than a decade now.

About This Blog

Jason Morton has been writing for newspapers since 2000 and for The Tuscaloosa News since 2004. A 1999 graduate of the University of Alabama, he was reassigned to cover Tuscaloosa City Hall in October 2010. In his six years with The Tuscaloosa News, Morton has covered city government, Tuscaloosa County government, Northport City Hall, the court system, the law enforcement and public safety communities. Morton has one son and is married to a high school teacher with the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education.